Review: A Cowboy for Christmas by Lori Wilde

Title: A Cowboy for Christmas by Lori Wilde
Jubilee, Texas Book Three
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

It’s Christmastime in Jubilee, Texas, but Lissette Moncrief is having a hard time celebrating . . .

Especially after she accidentally smashes her car into Rafferty Jones’s pick-up truck. Yes, he’s a whole lot of handsome—from the tips of his boots to the top of his Stetson. But he’s no Christmas present. Lissy’s not about to let herself get whisked away by his charming ways and words . . . only to watch him drive away in the end.

But what Lissy doesn’t know is Rafferty’s in town just to meet her—and to give her a share in a windfall that doesn’t rightly belong to him. At first, he just wants to do his good deed and get out. But one look at this green-eyed beauty has him deciding to turn this into a Christmas to remember . . . making promises he’s determined to keep—whether she believes in them or not.

The Review:

A Cowboy for Christmas, the final book in Lori Wilde’s Jubilee, Texas trilogy, is a poignant yet heartwarming romance between a widow and her newfound brother-in-law.

Following her husband’s death in Afghanistan, Lissette Moncrief is stunned when she learns Jake named his half-brother, Rafferty Jones, as the beneficiary of his military life insurance and death benefits. The discovery that her son, Kyle, is slowly going deaf turns her world upside down and sends her into panic mode. Determined to find financial security and stand on her own two feet, she creatively comes up with a plan to expand her bakery business. But when Rafferty arrives in Jubilee to give Lissettte the money that rightfully belongs to her and Kyle, will Lissette forgo her independence and accept the charming cowboy’s offer of help?

Lissette’s marriage to Jake was over long before his death, so while she is saddened by his loss, she has quickly picked up the pieces of her life. Now realizing how much of herself she gave up in order to keep the peace with her troubled husband, Lissette is struggling to change from the passive, people pleasing person she has become. Lissette carefully weighs her options and does not rush into making decisions which often leads to her giving in to other people’s demands rather than rock the boat by expressing her own opinions.

Rafferty has a weakness for helping people in need. Caring for his mentally unstable mother and younger siblings forced him to grow up way too fast. His strong sense of responsibility will not allow him to walk away from Lissette and Kyle so he cleverly devises a plan that will keep him in Jubilee where he can help Lissette without wounding her pride.

Rafferty and Lissette are attracted to one another from their very first meeting, but neither of them is ready for a serious relationship. Rafferty is sensitive to Lissette’s need to stand on her own and he is careful not to push her in a direction she is not ready to go. He is supportive without being overbearing and he provides her with some much needed self-confidence. Lissette’s transformation from meek and mild to more assertive is a slow but realistic process. It is not easy to change lifelong habits, but with Rafferty’s assistance, Lissette stands her ground and emerges from a few skirmishes a much stronger woman.

A secondary storyline involving Lissette’s mother-in-law, Claudia provides added conflict. Claudia’s devastation over Jake’s death is compounded by Rafferty’s arrival in Jubilee. Deeply ashamed by her past actions, Claudia is terrified her secret will be revealed and she strikes out at Lissette in fear.

A Cowboy for Christmas is more serious than the other books in the Jubilee, Texas series. Lori Wilde deftly handles some difficult subjects with sensitivity and without angst. The romance between Lissette and Rafferty is sweet and while they fall in love over a short period of time, it never feels forced or rushed.

A Cowboy for Christmas is delightful novel with appealing characters and a sensational storyline that I highly recommend.

Read my reviews of the other books in the Jubilee, TX series HERE.